Pipistrelle
/ˌpɪpɪˈstrɛl/noun
A small insect-eating bat, especially one of the genus Pipistrellus.
Did you know?Pipistrelle entered English through French from Italian dialect forms like pipistrello, but its deeper origin is uncertain, which makes it a rare case where a familiar creature’s name still keeps part of its shadowed past hidden.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
Italian
pipistrello
“A bat.”
16th–17th Century
French
pipistrelle
“A bat.”
17th Century
English
pipistrelle
“A small bat, especially a pipistrelle bat.”
Modern English
English
pipistrelle
“A small insect-eating bat of the genus Pipistrellus.”
Explore more surprising origins